Massive sandstorm hits Dunhuang, China

A massive sandstorm struck Dunhuang City in northwestern China’s Gansu province on July 19, 2024, causing significant traffic disruption.

A massive sandstorm struck Dunhuang City in China’s Gansu province on July 19, reducing visibility to less than 100 m (328 feet) and causing significant traffic congestion.

The highway police implemented temporary traffic controls on some routes to maintain safe vehicle passage.

The air quality was reduced significantly and citizens were advised to stay indoors and close their windows to prevent dust from getting in.

The popular Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring Scenic Area was temporarily closed to ensure the safety of the visitors.

References:

¹ Powerful sandstorm turns sky yellow, significantly reducing visibility in northwestern China – newsflare – July 19, 2024

Rishav Kothari

Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.

• Rishav Kothari

  A volcano in Tonga exploded so loudly in 2022 that people in Alaska, 6,000 miles away, were woken by the booms. Hawaii, at half that distance, heard nothing at all
• Rishav Kothari

  In 2001, red rain fell on parts of Kerala, India, on and off for about two months. Scientists traced the color to algae spores, but one physicist argued the cells came from space.
• Rishav Kothari

  In 2002 a magnitude 7.9 quake on the Denali Fault shoved the ground about 14 feet sideways under the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, but engineers had designed Teflon sliders for the pipe nearly 30 years earlier, and no oil spilled.
• Rishav Kothari

  Kīlauea episode 56 ends abruptly after nearly 6 hours of lava fountaining, Hawaii